According to HerHusband :
Calvin,

If it "just fits" you may be overstuffing the conduit.

Yep, my "Code Check Electrical" book says I can have a maximum of two 8
gauge conductors in 1/2" PVC conduit (for individual wires). But I'll have
four wires (8/3 w/ground) with the cable jacket. It fits into the conduit
easy enough, but I would clearly be exceeding the fill requirements for
conduit.

My main concern was whether it would be acceptable for such a straight
short run (3 feet). Doesn't seem like it would be all that different than
drilling a hole through a bunch of studs to snake the romex through.
Especially since it's a vertical section that's open at the top and bottom.

Under Canadian codes (like Calvin. Inspected/approved too), I've run 14/2,
14/3, 12/3 and 10/2 through 1/2" PVC for 5-7 foot "drops". Putting in
outlets, switches and a 30A cube heater outlet into my workshop, the
conduit is on the wall surface (not buried), and "sleeved" from the
ceiling to the boxes.

The inspector was fine with it.

That said, 8/3 sounds a trifle too far.

All you have to do is put a fitting on the end of the conduit that
would be used to attach it to a junction box, and get a
female-to-female pipe coupling to couple the threaded end of the
fitting to a threaded cable clamp. Works very nicely.

That was my plan if I have to resort to stripping the romex jacket back.
The conduit ends just above a foundation wall, so there isn't really room
to install a junction box there, and I can't really install bends in the
conduit with it being overfilled already.

Don't run the romex jacket back for running thru the conduit. If you're
going to go sheath-less, use proper unjacketed wire, with a J-box on
either end.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Chris,

Under Canadian codes (like Calvin. Inspected/approved too), I've run
14/2, 14/3, 12/3 and 10/2 through 1/2" PVC for 5-7 foot "drops".
Putting in outlets, switches and a 30A cube heater outlet into my
workshop, the conduit is on the wall surface (not buried), and
"sleeved" from the ceiling to the boxes.
The inspector was fine with it.
That said, 8/3 sounds a trifle too far.

With usual hindsight, I wish I had installed larger conduit at the time.
But, it was a last minute idea I had before installing the sheetrock and
1/2" is just what I had on hand. I didn't figure I'd ever be adding any big
loads in the future. Funny what a difference a year makes...

I haven't checked the electrical supply stores, but if I opt to snake the
cable through the wall, my next concern would be the cable clamp at the
electrical box. A normal clamp fits in the hole and a nut gets tightened on
the backside. But, I'll only have access to the inside of the electrical
box. Do they make clamps that can be tightened from one side only? I've
never paid attention because I've never needed one before.

Anthony

According to HerHusband :
I haven't checked the electrical supply stores, but if I opt to snake the
cable through the wall, my next concern would be the cable clamp at the
electrical box. A normal clamp fits in the hole and a nut gets tightened on
the backside. But, I'll only have access to the inside of the electrical
box. Do they make clamps that can be tightened from one side only? I've
never paid attention because I've never needed one before.

There are plastic "snap-in" cable clamps that might help, but you'd
still need to get to the back of the boxes.
--
Chris Lewis, Una confibula non set est
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

I haven't checked the electrical supply stores, but if I opt to snake
the cable through the wall, my next concern would be the cable clamp
at the electrical box. A normal clamp fits in the hole and a nut gets
tightened on the backside. But, I'll only have access to the inside
of the electrical box. Do they make clamps that can be tightened from
one side only? I've never paid attention because I've never needed
one before.

There are plastic "snap-in" cable clamps that might help, but you'd
still need to get to the back of the boxes.

What's the normal procedure then for adding a cable to an existing
electrical panel? Surely there's a way to protect and secure the incoming
cable other than tearing into the wall just to tighten a nut on the
backside?

Anthony

HerHusband wrote:

I haven't checked the electrical supply stores, but if I opt to snake
the cable through the wall, my next concern would be the cable clamp
at the electrical box. A normal clamp fits in the hole and a nut gets
tightened on the backside. But, I'll only have access to the inside
of the electrical box. Do they make clamps that can be tightened from
one side only? I've never paid attention because I've never needed
one before.

There are plastic "snap-in" cable clamps that might help, but you'd
still need to get to the back of the boxes.

What's the normal procedure then for adding a cable to an existing
electrical panel? Surely there's a way to protect and secure the incoming
cable other than tearing into the wall just to tighten a nut on the
backside?

Anthony

You got to get enough access to get th cable into the box, anyway...

But you can certainly tighten a standard connector from the inside, but
can't tighten the clamp portion itself on the cable unless can get
access to the outside...

Can't envision what you're after here...

You got to get enough access to get the cable into the box, anyway...

Pop a knockout out of the electrical panel, drill a hole up through the
floor from the crawlspace, and fish the wires through the stud bay. A pain
in the neck, but certainly doable. No worse than any other remodeling job.

But you can certainly tighten a standard connector from the inside,
but can't tighten the clamp portion itself on the cable unless can get
access to the outside...

I would think the cable clamp would work just as well in reverse? Put the
clamp portion inside the electrical panel? But, that would still leave the
problem of fastening the clamp itself to the box.

Unless, of course, I could find a clamp designed for this purpose.

Anthony

HerHusband wrote:

You got to get enough access to get the cable into the box, anyway...

Pop a knockout out of the electrical panel, drill a hole up through the
floor from the crawlspace, and fish the wires through the stud bay. A pain
in the neck, but certainly doable. No worse than any other remodeling job.
....

I've found it usually easier to just make the access hole, do the
necessary wiring in a relatively simple manner, then patch the hole...

imo, ymmv, $.02, etc., ...

Duane Bozarth ) said...

But you can certainly tighten a standard connector from the inside, but
can't tighten the clamp portion itself on the cable unless can get
access to the outside...

I have done this befo

1) Strip off the end of the Romex the amount needed in the panel, plus
a little extra just to be safe.

2) Attach the cable clamp on the end of where the Romex jacket is, with
the clamp's nut removed.

3) Fish the cable with the clamp on it up through the wall. You will
likely have to tape together the ends of the conductors, and of
course you will need a large enough hole so that the clamp on the
cable clears it.

4) Once the stripped ends make it through the knockout in the panel,
slip the clamp's nut over the conductors and tighten it on the
threads of the clamp that now come through the knockout. The tightening
may not be 100% as tight as how it would be if you had full access,
but it is not that difficult to be sufficiently tight.

--
Calvin Henry-Cotnam
"Never ascribe to malice what can equally be explained by incompetence."
- Napoleon
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On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:03:44 -0500, HerHusband wrote:

I haven't checked the electrical supply stores, but if I opt to snake
the cable through the wall, my next concern would be the cable clamp
at the electrical box. A normal clamp fits in the hole and a nut gets
tightened on the backside. But, I'll only have access to the inside
of the electrical box. Do they make clamps that can be tightened from
one side only? I've never paid attention because I've never needed
one before.

There are plastic "snap-in" cable clamps that might help, but you'd
still need to get to the back of the boxes.

What's the normal procedure then for adding a cable to an existing
electrical panel? Surely there's a way to protect and secure the incoming
cable other than tearing into the wall just to tighten a nut on the
backside?


The nut goes on the inside of the box. Put the clamp part onto the cable
before snaking it through the wall. When you pull the cable into the box,
the male threaded part of the clamp pulls right into the hole. Install
the nut and tighten.

--
Ron DeBlock N2JSO
If God had meant for Man to see the sunrise,
He would have scheduled it later in the day.

What's the normal procedure then for adding a cable to an existing
electrical panel? Surely there's a way to protect and secure the
incoming cable other than tearing into the wall just to tighten a nut
on the backside?

The nut goes on the inside of the box. Put the clamp part onto the
cable before snaking it through the wall. When you pull the cable
into the box, the male threaded part of the clamp pulls right into the
hole. Install the nut and tighten.

Hmm.. Interesting idea. It would mean drilling a larger hole in the wall
plate that the clamp can fit through, but otherwise it sounds like a
workable solution.

Thanks!

Anthony

"HerHusband" wrote in message
...
I haven't checked the electrical supply stores, but if I opt to
snake
the cable through the wall, my next concern would be the cable
clamp
at the electrical box. A normal clamp fits in the hole and a nut
gets
tightened on the backside. But, I'll only have access to the
inside
of the electrical box. Do they make clamps that can be tightened
from
one side only? I've never paid attention because I've never
needed
one before.

There are plastic "snap-in" cable clamps that might help, but
you'd
still need to get to the back of the boxes.

What's the normal procedure then for adding a cable to an existing
electrical panel? Surely there's a way to protect and secure the
incoming
cable other than tearing into the wall just to tighten a nut on the
backside?

Anthony

If you're talking about the cable entrance at the circuit breaker
panel, use a butterfly clamp...

Rick,

If you're talking about the cable entrance at the circuit breaker
panel, use a butterfly clamp...

Yep, that's the entrance I'm talking about.

I'm not familiar with a butterfly clamp, can you describe this further?

I'm sure a trip to the local home center will help me figure out what's
available for the task. But, I haven't had the time...

Thanks!

Anthony

"HerHusband" wrote in message
...
Rick,

If you're talking about the cable entrance at the circuit breaker
panel, use a butterfly clamp...

Yep, that's the entrance I'm talking about.

I'm not familiar with a butterfly clamp, can you describe this
further?

I'm sure a trip to the local home center will help me figure out
what's
available for the task. But, I haven't had the time...

Thanks!

Anthony

Looks like this:

http://www.discount-tools.ws/tools/b...-connector.php

Available at hardware stores, home centers...

On Mon, 13 Jun 2005 17:03:44 -0500, HerHusband wrote:
electrical panel? Surely there's a way to protect and secure the incoming
cable other than tearing into the wall just to tighten a nut on the
backside?

In addition to the other tips...

The front bezel on the panel covers some distance around the outside of
the panel. On the ones I've used, about 1" outside the panel is
covered. That leaves plenty of room to remove 1/2" of drywall above
and/or below the panel thru which you can access the other side of the
cable clamp. Needle nose pliers to hold the ring and install the clamp
backwords, or keep the screws on the clamp facing the correct way and
you can get a screwdriver in there to tighten the clamp on the wire.

sdb

--
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